Flexible storage bags for use in the containment and protection of various items, as well as the preservation of perishable materials such as food items, are well known in the art. Such bags typically comprise a rectangular sheet of polymeric film folded upon itself and sealed along two edges to form a semi-enclosed container having two flexible opposed sidewalls, three sealed or folded edges, and one open edge. A closure integrally formed with the bag such as an interlocking rib-type seal or separately provided such as a plastic or paper-clad-wire tie completes the containment assembly.
As utilized herein, the term "flexible" is utilized to refer to materials which are capable of being flexed or bent, especially repeatedly, such that they are pliant and yieldable in response to externally applied forces. Accordingly, "flexible" is substantially opposite in meaning to the terms inflexible, rigid, or unyielding. Materials and structures which are flexible, therefore, may be altered in shape and structure to accommodate external forces and to conform to the shape of objects brought into contact with them without losing their integrity. Flexible storage bags of the foregoing variety are typically formed from polymeric film, such as polyethylene or other members of the polyolefin family, in thicknesses of between about 0.0002 inches to about 0.002 inches. Such films are frequently transparent but sometimes are opaque and/or colored.
Flexible storage bags of the currently commercially available variety provide a means of conveniently storing a wide range of objects and materials in a generally disposable containment device. While flexible storage bags of the foregoing variety have enjoyed a fair degree of commercial success, their reliance upon mechanical closures tends to cause difficulty in operation for individuals having impaired manual dexterity such as children, the elderly, arthritis patients, etc. Moreover, such mechanical closures typically require alignment of mechanical elements for operation which can prove challenging for those with impaired vision or impaired hand-eye coordination. Many mechanical closure mechanisms also provide leakage sites at such locations as the end of interlocking channels where liquid or gases can leak into or out of the bag.
In an attempt to address this issue alternative closure mechanisms have been developed which rely upon strips or regions of adhesive to bond superimposed regions of the bag. While these closures address some of the difficulties in utilizing separate closure elements or interlocking mechanical elements, some adhesive closure mechanisms require removable liners to protect the adhesive from premature activation, thus adding additional elements for assembly and an additional activation step before use. Moreover, some protected adhesive configurations require interlocking grooves, channels, or protrusions which must be properly registered to engage the adhesive, thus again raising the visual and coordination requirements of conventional mechanical closure mechanisms.
While such flexible storage bags are generally highly efficient for storage before use, for many storage situations it is desirable to minimize the amount of air and/or free space above or around the contents which is trapped within the bag after closure to minimize storage space of filled bags and to aid the effectiveness of the bag in preservation of perishable items. Notwithstanding the type of closure mechanism employed, it is often difficult with conventional flexible storage bags to only partially close the bag and expel trapped air before completing the closure as this again requires a certain amount of manual dexterity and visual aptitude.
Conventional flexible storage bags also create an inherent challenge in terms of being able to hold the flexible or flaccid bag in an open condition with at most one hand so that the other hand can manipulate another container to pour the contents into the bag or peel, cut, or trim items for insertion into the bag. It is also difficult to maintain the proper (usually upright) orientation of the opening of the bag during such filling operations. While rigid containers and flaccid containers with reinforced opening perimeters have been developed for such uses, their comparatively higher cost and limited economical disposability leave room for improvement. Notwithstanding the issue of maintaining the container or bag opening in an open condition, there also remains a need for a flexible yet self-standing container with the foregoing attributes to facilitate easy hands-free filling. Flexible storage bags on the other hand which are constructed of more inexpensive materials to promote disposability typically lack the structure necessary for stable stacking of bags after filling.
With regard to rigid or semi-rigid containers, it is well recognized that such containers have also realized a fair degree of commercial success in providing a means for storing a wide variety of contents. Such containers typically have an opening which maintains an open condition for filling and are typically self-supporting with the opening in the proper orientation for filling. Such containers also are frequently provided with flat bottoms and tops to provide stackability. However, such containers are typically constructed of more expensive materials such that disposability is limited. At the same time, the useful life of such containers is limited by damage, soiling, or other degradation naturally occurring in use, including degradation of the typical mechanical closure mechanisms. Storage of such three-dimensional, rigid or semi-rigid containers when empty is also a concern, since they occupy as much volume empty as they do in a filled condition. Due to their comparatively fixed-volume construction, it is also difficult to minimize the amount of air or free space above or around the contents to minimize storage space of filled containers and to aid the effectiveness of the container in preservation of perishable items. Another concern is the task of matching usually-separate lids or closures with their respective containers for use.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a storage container combining the desirable qualities of both flexible bags and storage containers and minimizing the less desirable qualities of both approaches.
More particularly, it would be desirable to provide a storage container having improved sealability in use.
It would also be desirable to provide such a container which is capable of being self-supporting in an open condition for filling purposes, yet stores easily by folding into a compact form.
It would further be desirable to provide a storage container constructed from inexpensive materials to facilitate disposability which still promotes stable stacking of containers in a filled condition.
It would be yet further desirable to provide such a container which provides the foregoing attributes in a convenient unitary form, obviating the need for separate closure devices.